


REALIZATION

by kingstoken



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 01:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5690203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/pseuds/kingstoken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You said you've loved me for a long time, how long?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	REALIZATION

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at a Daryl/Carol fic. This takes place sometime after 6x08.

His feet pounded up the stairs, but as he approaches her room he slows, takes a moment to breathe, and opens the door. She is on the bed, laying on her side, facing away from him.

"Rossita," she calls over her shoulder "did you bring another pain pill?" He doesn't respond, just walks around the bed so he can be in her field of vision. She intakes a deep breath of air, but it must of been painful because she winces, after a moment she gives him a weak smile.

"You're back."

"Yeah" he says as he sits in a chair beside her bed. She reaches her hand out and he grabs it, so glad to feel her touch.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, but you're not."

"I'm better than I was, but it looks like I am going to be pretty useless for a few days. I know there are still walkers out there, that the place needs to be cleared out and the walls repaired."

"You don't need to worry about any of that." Suddenly Daryl felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but he holds it in. Something must have shown on his face, because Carol covered their entwined fingers with her other hand.

"Hey, I'm alright."

"But, you almost weren't, and I wasn't here."

"Daryl you couldn't have known what was going to happen, none of us could."

"If you were gone ..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"I've got nine lives remember" he nodded. They stayed in the same position, hands clasped, for a long time, at one point he thought Carol drifted off, but he couldn't bring himself to release her hand. Later she opened her eyes. She stared at him for a long time, as if she was looking for something.

"Daryl, you know I've loved you for a long time right?" Shock coursed through his system, but he manged to shake his head no.

"I should have told you a long time ago." 

"Why didn't ...?"

"Because the people I love end up dead, and I guess I foolishly thought that if I never said it you'd be safe, but that's not how this world works."

"How long?" he croaked out.

"What?"

"You said you've loved me for a long time, how long?" She took a moment to think.

"Since Cherokee Rose." The tears did flow then, he couldn't hold them in. She caressed his hair, and when he was spent, she wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. Than he got down on his knees beside the bed, and he leaned into kiss her. Just a gentle meeting of the mouths, but when he tried to embrace her, she yelped out in pain, and he pulled back.

"I'm sorry" she said "I know my timing sucks."

"It's perfect" he replied, as he touched her face, than he gave her a smile, the biggest smile she had ever seen on Daryl Dixon's face.


End file.
